Just the other day, we went to the pediatrician’s to get up to date with shots we missed while in living in France.

Isla, poor kid, needed three different shots. Luckily she had her big sister there to coach her and– I’m not kidding– carry her, as she cried, back out to the car. Gulp. (This was after she almost fainted in empathy for her little sister. Turns out she had watched the last needle go into her sister’s arm.)

I had thought Esther needed a shot as well. Though she was nervous going in, she acted almost disappointed when she found out that she didn’t need any shots after all.

But then the doctor informed us she was old enough to get the Gardasil shot, which they recommend getting before age 13, or “before she starts dating.”

Essie’s eyes got wide and she turned red as a beet when she heard the doc, a man, say “before she starts dating.” Then she started to ask me a lot of questions while the doc was still talking.

“We’ll talk about it later,” I hissed, trying to avoid an awkward conversation with my daughter in the presence of a virtual stranger.

Esther was acting like she wanted the shot then and there. Kids are strange. And I was thinking, “Wait, whoa, hold on, what was it I read about this??? Wasn’t there some controversy? Is it really necessary?”

I have to admit, the fervor with which the doctor was trying to convince us of this vaccine’s efficacy and necessity, was what really made me wary. He sounded exactly like a desperate salesman, offering far too much information, including how boys are getting it too now.

Not too much information for me, but…. I had a very curious kid in the room and I had no idea that morning we were going to be talking about sexually transmitted diseases and cancer of the cervix right after breakfast.

Anyway, it occurs to me now, this particular doc might be used to having to defend this particular vaccine and has become, thus, defensive in his recommendation of it. Too bad.

“Its most common serious side effect is that many people faint after being injected. Gardasil is administered via a series of three very painful shots. (A major challenge is convincing your daughter to go back for more after she’s endured shot number one.)”

Yikes. While I do not take cervical, or any cancer prevention lightly, I’m glad I have a second or two to decide if this is the best thing for my girls.

Anyone out there have any experience with, or opinions about, this newish vaccine?

82 Responses to Is she ready for the HPV vaccine?

When you think of the target audience for the vaccination (adolescent girls), it’s no surprise that “fainting” is the number one adverse effect. Drama queens! When our pediatrician mentioned that, I said, “Don’t worry- we don’t do that in our family- no fainting allowed” My daughter had all three shots- no issues, no fainting, not a big deal.

I don’t know why STDs even have to come up. Most people, and especially not children, don’t ask for the details of the other vaccinations- how many kids know what HIB or diphtheria are? Gardasil is a vaccination against HPV- a virus. I can’t imagine any kid thinking, “Oh good, I got my HPV shot, now I can go out and screw around.”

“I can’t imagine any kid thinking, “Oh good, I got my HPV shot, now I can go out and screw around.””: Is that a common concern?

Bevsays:

September 15, 2011 at 11:40 am

Lisa B – thank you!! You said everything I was thinking – only way better!!

robinsays:

September 15, 2011 at 11:40 am

Lisa B, thank you, thank you, for your oh-so-reasonable thoughts on this vaccine. I’ve often wondered who’s been telling the 11-year-olds that Gardasil is for a sexually-transmitted disease? My kids don’t know anything about how anyone even gets chicken pox, since hardly anyone gets it around here anymore, so why would this one be any different? And as far as I know, it’s not more painful than say the DTAP, which my kids’ pediatrician said was most likely to hurt of all the vaccines kids get.

Our pediatrician was this close to telling my nine year old, in so many words.

Rhiannonsays:

September 15, 2011 at 11:48 am

I work in a dr’s office giving vaccines, some kids do ask what it is for. When I tell them it is to prevent cervical cancer the younger ones ask what a cervix is, after I tell them that they don’t usually ask anything further, the older ones already know what hpv is most of the time(I leave that explanation to the parents).
I haven’t had it but it is a painful shot – from what teenagers tell me it is one of the more painful ones, but they still complete the series. If I had a daughter I would probably do it when she’s around 11-12.

I’m not a fan of this vaccine, due to the way it was marketed, etc., when it first came out. My almost-9yo will not be getting it until she is twelve or so, and then only if our doctor believes it is useful for her at that time.

Since she doesn’t even know about the “insert tab A into slot B” part of things yet, I see no need to rush this

Jamiesays:

September 15, 2011 at 11:51 am

Lisa B -wonderfully said!!

The only mstake the dr. did was adding “before she starts dating”. I wish it wasn’t framed in that manner since it only fuels those folks who think this incredible vaccine will somehow lead to sexual activity and promiscuity.

Sarahsays:

September 15, 2011 at 11:53 am

My sister had a bad reaction to the shot. It was pretty scary. I’m all for vaccines, and I make sure my kids are up to date on all of their shots (just got their flu shots today), however, my girls WILL NOT be getting this one. It sets off the mama radar as not a good idea. I have no problem with the theory behind it, but just a VERY strong gut feeling that it is a bad idea. Just one of those things I can’t explain.

Kellysays:

September 15, 2011 at 12:01 pm

I had the shots. They weren’t any more painful than any other vaccine. I would recommend it for any teenage girl, although I do think 13 is too young. I’ve had too many friends have issues with abnormal paps that could have been easily preventable.

Stacysays:

September 15, 2011 at 12:09 pm

Regardless of the marketing or the politics surrounding this vaccine, the bottom line is that it saves lives. If I ever have a girl, I plan on her getting this vaccination as early as possible. You can’t be around your child 24/7 to protect them from everything that might happen. Pre-adolescent children do get sexually assaulted ( and don’t sit there and say, “That will never happen to my little girl.” because it does happen and usually right under the parent’s noses) and this vaccine will prevent adding insult to injury later on in life. My mother-in-law died in agony because of cervical cancer at the young age of 50. I have HPV myself. Most statistics say *at least* 50%, and possibly up to 75%, of sexually active individuals have at least one of the many strains of HPV. No, you don’t need to get into an in-depth sex education discussion with your child. To think this vaccine will make a child more promiscuous earlier in life is ridiculous. I know when I was a teenager, the only thing I really thought about was preventing pregnancy and AIDS, but mostly pregnancy.

All that said, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to hold off providing this vaccine to your daughters.

LisaB, I don’t know if you’ve had the Gardasil vaccine, but the fainting side effect isn’t from being a wimp. I got the first shot and spent the next several days feeling like I was going to pass out while my heartbeat was racing. As a regular blood donor, I’m no stranger to needles, so it wasn’t just me being a “drama queen.” I had a bad reaction, which isn’t typical of everyone, but it was enough to deter me from getting the other two shots in the series.

I’m kind of torn on this one, because if I ever have a daughter, I want her to be protected, but at the same time, I wouldn’t want her to have the kind of reaction I had. Plus, it seriously hurts like a mofo.

Momma Debsays:

September 15, 2011 at 1:04 pm

I have gotten the shot as an adult and I have to say it is the most painful shot I’ve had but the soreness only lasted a day (unlike the tetnus.) I also administer shots as my job in a doctors office. I have never seen a girl faint from the vaccine and haven’t seen anyone with any side effects other than a sore arm. My very first pap came back abnormal at the age of 19 because of that I was convinced that the hpv could only be beneficial. (thankfully every one since has been normal) When my daughter gets to the right age she will definitely be getting vaccinated.

hilarysays:

September 15, 2011 at 1:10 pm

I mentioned this on the other post but I have a good friend that developed a very serious nerve disorder within hours of receiving this shot she lives in TX and has gotten well enough (after years in OT) that she can go outside and do normal things as long as she is wearing full length clothing and most of the time gloves. Her Docs have done extensive testing to find out why she suddenly developed this and can’t find any reason but tell her that if she tried to sue they would say it’s just a coincidence and that she can’t prove the shot caused it.

momoftwosays:

September 15, 2011 at 1:34 pm

If you like your pediatrician and want to stick with him, you might want to have a conversation about this with him (my mom had a similar problem with our pediatrician who said some pretty inappropriate things when we were little). Little girls do not need to know what the vaccination is for and it is completely inappropriate for the doctor to be going on and on about this while the child is present. Maybe he didn’t go too far this time, but he was almost there and you don’t want that happening again. On the vaccine, I think it’s a worthwhile vaccine, having had one form of HPV myself and now doing yearly testing in order to make sure I’m not getting cervical cancer. I didn’t get it by being promiscuous, but because my husband had/has it and didn’t know (presented no symptoms at all). So, honestly, it is a quiet disease that one can contract at any point, even later in life and you can get it from someone who doesn’t even know they have it!

It’s a group practice and I didn’t get a chance to request our favorite doc, actually we have two favorites. I will make a better effort to request next time.

Hannahsays:

September 15, 2011 at 1:45 pm

My doctor did not pressure me to get the vaccine at 16 when I signed up for classes. I told him I was a virgin and that I didn’t plan on having sex until marriage *which I succeeded in* . he told me that while it guards you against SOME strains of HPV it doesn’t protect you from all of them. Also you don’t just wake up one morning with HPV it is an STD so have some self respect and protect your greatest treasure and we wouldn’t be having this discussion…

Chelseasays:

September 15, 2011 at 2:16 pm

A few years ago I had the option (at 22 and married) to get the vaccine. A series of 3 shots, they hurt because they’re slow shots (takes awhile for all the vaccine to get in), and my only side effect was a sore arm for a day or two. I did my research and got it because I thought it would be beneficial for me, so why not? Honestly, the shots hurt about as much as getting the Rhogam shot during pregnancy – slow injection and maybe a little soreness afterwards. It was no biggie for me. Shots are never fun and always hurt – and this one wasn’t any different.

Kirstensays:

September 15, 2011 at 2:59 pm

I have 3 girls and my second is due to have her 3rd shot on my youngest daughter’s birthday. When my youngest is 11 (next October) she will start getting the shots as well. The worst side effect either one of my girls got was a sore arm. I just considered it another one of my child’s vaccines. Eleven year check up Dtap and Gardesil. Check. You never know what will happen in their lives be it a bad choice, or a rape, or (gasp) consensual sex in their twenties or thirties (or both) before marriage. How many of us moms would be liars if we said that we were pure until marriage? Most of us. I would rather she take her time to find the best man than for her to marry the wrong man young and either live out her life in misery or get divorced. Plus, she has no control over her potential partners and just how much experience they have. Sure, when the topic of sex comes up, she can chose not to have sex with an “experienced” man but odds are pretty good that she won’t come across a virgin when she is ready to settle down. Better safe than sorry. A preventable disease… (And yes, I know it doesn’t prevent all types of HPV but prevention is prevention.)

Sarasays:

September 15, 2011 at 3:16 pm

“you don’t just wake up one morning with HPV it is an STD so have some self respect and protect your greatest treasure and we wouldn’t be having this discussion…”
@Hannah, It’s just not that simple. Speaking as someone who waited until my twenties to lose my virginity *to my husband*, I would encourage my daughter AND my son to wait for love and stability before having a sexual relationship, and I hope they will. However, teenagers do not have good judgment. That’s why by law, they can not drive until 16, vote until 18, or drink legally until they are 21. I’m not leaving either of them open to reproductive cancers. And what about their future spouses? Do I know where they have been, or if they will stray during the marriage? And what if either of my kids were sexually assaulted? Am I trusting sexual predators to keep my children disease free? Really?

Sarasays:

September 15, 2011 at 3:17 pm

^^^^Or just read what Kirsten said^^^^

Nicolesays:

September 15, 2011 at 3:49 pm

This shot doesn’t protect girls from anything getting pap smears doesn’t. HPV can be caught before it has to lead to cervical cancer already. Why add a new vaccine to the mix?

Lisa Bsays:

September 15, 2011 at 4:04 pm

@Hannah, HPV is not the result of promiscuity, it is the result of having intercourse with someone else who has the virus. Even good girls get HPV.

As a woman who’s had part of her cervix removed due to cervical cancer, I cannot recommend this vaccine highly enough.

You think the shot hurts? Try having multiple biopsies, multiple appointments to have your cervix frozen, and ultimately getting part of your cervix removed. Then, 10 years later, having to weigh the perfect moment to tell your boyfriend that your ability to get pregnant may be compromised. Suddenly 3 “painful” shots aren’t so bad…

A pap will detect the presence of the abnormal cells, and hopefully (but not always) stop the spread, but it can’t prevent you from getting it. You will find that many women who get an abnormal pap will struggle with this for years.

Nicolesays:

September 15, 2011 at 4:18 pm

The pap itself will not prevent cervical cancer. Treatments that follow(such as the LEEP procedure) will.

Heathersays:

September 15, 2011 at 4:26 pm

I have HPV….and have had several abnormal pap smears. Luckily all cancer was caught early and I was able to preserve my fertility. My now 14 year old daughter has had the guardisil shot. It was recommended by her pediatrician and every medical person I asked, including my Ob/gyn. Yes, it was painful, but so were the other 3 vaccines she got that day (chicken pox booster, meningitis, and Dtap – I think). No fainting but they made her lay down for 5-10 minutes after as a precaution. She did know what it was for and was ok with it. I think you did the right thing by waiting to get the facts first. When hit like that at the office you feel pressured. You need to have a conversation with her about it first. No reason to hurry…she’s only 9. My daughter got it at her 11 year appt. – right before middle school (yes, she did go back for the other 2 shots). If it saves her some of the stress I have had over the years from worry over cervical cancer it will be worth it!

Marysays:

September 15, 2011 at 4:32 pm

I think that this drug is used to prevent certain strains of the virus from taking effect in the body, the same way people the the flu vaccine, or tdap it is all used for prevention for something that can cause serious harm to the body.

I wish that I would have gotten the vaccine earlier and not have to worry about the consenquences like I am having to do now. I have a strain that can cause cancer. So I am being watched closley the the obgyn just to make sure that it does not turn into that.

So in my opinion its not that its going to make your child promiscuous, it just there to protect her if she were to ever does come across the virus. So no I dont think she is too young.

snowloversays:

September 15, 2011 at 5:29 pm

Nicole – unfortunately, paps are read by humans who do make mistakes. A good friend of mine had years of normal paps before her full blown, very aggressive form of cervical cancer was discovered. After the dust had settled (hysterechtomy, chemo and radiation) she was left wondering how it had happened. After a lengthy process, she was able to get hold of her old tests and sure enough, they were misread. I read Betsy’s blog all the time and have never posted, but I really needed to share this story – we just don’t live in a perfect world.

Thanks for sharing, snowlover. I love the snow too. Could come to Vermont any day now. (:

Sarasays:

September 15, 2011 at 5:30 pm

@nicole, even if a pap can help to detect cancer, there’s no guarantee that your child will GET regular paps, right?

Janiesays:

September 15, 2011 at 5:55 pm

Just another way for politicians and drug companies to make huge money at the expense of our daughters. I know a girl personally that now has seizures, they started after her second immunization. She never had a seizure in her life, now she is on meds forever. Wake up ladies, stop believing everything your Dr’s tell you. They have no idea what this shot will do to girls down the road. Maybe we should teach safe sex to prevent STD’s and Aids.

Janiesays:

September 15, 2011 at 6:15 pm

Read up girls, there is NO proof that the vaccine prevents Cervical Cancer. A pap Smear will help you more. They didn’t tell you that in the slick ads targeting our daughters. While the drug Companies and Pols were raking it in.

Janiesays:

September 15, 2011 at 6:19 pm

Re: Sarah, stick with your gut feeling. Notice how the commercials no longer air. Too many deaths and side effects and they are all being hushed up. Strange when 2 of my daughters friends, 21 and sexually active, had all 3 shots and still developed the hpv virus.

Melissasays:

September 15, 2011 at 6:21 pm

From someone that has HPV and has many friends that also do (the majority of the population has it, even if they don’t know it) I wish this vaccine was available to me when I was growing up (I’m 32 now). It would have saved me from a lot of painful, confusing procedures, and tons of worry.

alouisesays:

September 15, 2011 at 6:21 pm

I wish this vaccine had been available when I was a teen. it would have spared me from a lot of discomfort and awkwardness later in life. I was lucky that my ability to have children wasnt lost.

Janiesays:

September 15, 2011 at 6:42 pm

There are over 100 strains of HPV, the vaccine prevents only 4 strains. Why would you risk taking a drug that has 1000’s of side effects, including death? Does anyone on this board realize the millions upon millions that were made by Merck using scare tactics and false information. Listen to the ads and catch the words in between, like it “May” prevent some formds of hpv that causes cervical cancer. Wake up. wait until the real side effects start when this generation of girls have miscarriages and babies with birth defects.

Lisa Bsays:

September 15, 2011 at 7:08 pm

Out of those four strains–two of them cause 70% of the cervical cancer cases and two of the strains cause 90% of HPV cases.

**wait until the real side effects start when this generation of girls have miscarriages and babies with birth defects.**

Talk about false information and scare tactics.

Regarding fainting. The vaccination is given by IM injection which takes a while to absorb. If you faint in the office, it isn’t because of the ingredients in the injection.

Check out the CDCs web page which explains adverse effects monitoring. If you think you’re privy to some secret information about the dangers, it sure must be a hell of a conspiracy to keep it quiet.

I’m happy for those who “succeeded” in staying pure till marriage, but I hate to tell you you could still contract HPV. It doesn’t require actual intercourse for transmission, just contact. And many engage in that kind of activity before the wedding night.

em_wems_momsays:

September 15, 2011 at 7:49 pm

Before anyone else decides to vaccinate their child for this disease everyone should go on to a facebook page called onemoregirl. It is a running LIST of all the girls that have died after the Gardasil shot or shots. This is a dangerous vaccine that they cannot say what the LONG TERM side effects are. The studies and trials they did for this vaccine before they pushed it through were not that long and a small population of woman. Read the vaccine handout and look up ALL the information they have on it. Do your research on this vaccine before you give it to your children. I have a daughter and I absolutely will not give it.
Even reading through these comments you can see the misinformation that has been given out by the doctors. Some of you stated that this would protect against STD’s for when your teenage child decides to have sex. First of all not all HPV is sexually transmitted and second of all their are hundreds of HPV strains and this vaccine only claims to protect you from a few. Not worth the risk, we will pass.

I am one of the injured! Not a friend not somebody who knows somebody me! This vaccine is not safe for everyone! If there’s a huge raise in infertility rates in ten or so years we will know why as this vaccine is not been tested properly! I am pro vax pro choice but I will fight to the death b4 I allow somebody to give this shot to my children! U still need ur paps people! And make informed choices! Drs don’t always know best.

jenn bsays:

September 15, 2011 at 8:16 pm

Let’s just reframe for a second here. If someone told you there was a vaccine to protect you from a form of cancer of, let’s say, the respiratory system, would you get it? We’re talking cancer here. I sit here with the knowledge that my best childhood friend of 37 years is about to loose her eldest sister who is in her 50’s to cancer. In days. She is saying goodbye to her three sons, one who isn’t even out of high school and the other who has a toddler and another who was just married this past year.

If you could prevent your daughter from going through this torturous end and having to loose her life, say goodbye to those she loves, in an immense amount of pain, would you? The answer most of the time is yes. As a person who aspires to work in healthcare, the body is a system and any one part can break down, get sick and sometimes kill us. We NEED to take the stigma out of this. Who gives a rats ass if it’s to protect girls who make mistakes with their sexuality when they are young? It’s affecting men now too, it’s causing mouth cancers as well. I’m sorry, but everyone needs to think about this again. It’s CANCER, it KILLS good people every day. I will vaccinate my daughter, but not until she’s older. Why oh why would I ever NOT try to prevent such a horrible disease that does not discriminate, only ruins???

jenn bsays:

September 15, 2011 at 8:23 pm

Another point, if you get cervical cancer or abnormal paps, you are more likely to get leep surgery to remove cells. Often times this surgery leaves scar tissue, when you then have childbirth, the scar tissue allows the cervix to efface, but NOT to dilate. Many, many women with OB’s who don’t realize or more likely care about this end up having cesarean sections because of the damage left by the scar tissue which in most circumstances can be massaged away during contractions. Just another effect.

Melissasays:

September 15, 2011 at 8:29 pm

I have had all three shots. I have had zero side effects. I’m glad my parents chose to let me get it when it first came out because shortly after I became sexually active. My significant other recently found out he has HPV. I know this is graphic but we were very confused as to why he had gotten a genital wart and I had not, even though we were not using protection (since I am pregnant). When he found out what it was I knew why I was still “clean” and he was not, because of the vaccine. I’m glad I got it. My significant other has been safe during sex except for that one time. That’s all it takes.

JoMum_of_5says:

September 15, 2011 at 8:32 pm

em_wems_mom I love you response and your point about the LONG TERM side effects is my main concern. This vaccine is frightening to me for this reason, it was pushed through so fast, I don’t trust we have been given all the information as this first generation of girls receiving the needle are the test subjects. I have 4 daughters and I will not be giving them this vaccine, we have sat down together and researched the for and against sides together, so they fully understand what this vaccine is for, and the potential dangers.
I feel that the chance of having an adverse reaction to this vaccine is much higher than the chance of them contracting hpv and then it being severe enough to cause cervical cancer, (there was one report I read a while ago that states gardasil has had so many adverse reactions it could be classed as it’s own disease… I will try and find it and put a link up
One of the concerning things is when the nurse came to my children’s school to administer the vax and my daughters didn’t have it, the comments from the other children were atrocious and grossly misinformed (like your babies will be deformed and your family must be so unhealthy if they don’t have their needles). Please check you are giving your kids all the info and not just letting them line up for a needle, teach them and help them understand the reasons for the vax. And research ingredients I refuse to knowingly inject my child with aborted human foetal tissue and monkey kidney cells among other nasties (not in gardasil no animal content in gardasil)

Good Luck making your choices Ladies, inform yourselves and trust your instincts (whichever way they go you ultimately know what is best for you and your family) also make sure you visit the One More Girl website xox

According to CDC, as of 06/2011, there have been approx. 35 million doses of HPV vaccine distributed since 2006. There have been 18,727 reports of adverse reactions to VAERS during that time. So, the percentage of adverse reactions to the vaccine is 0.053505%. When compared with the rate of deaths from cervical cancer among U.S. women each year (0.002466%), the rate of REPORTED vaccine injury from HPV vaccines is more than 2,000% higher than the death rate from cervical cancer.

mariskasays:

September 15, 2011 at 11:18 pm

Back to basics: 1) the real-life effectiveness of gardasil isn’t truly known, because it simply hasn’t been long enough; 2) it is known, however, that it doesn’t protect against all strains of HPV; 3) you still need your yearly pap even if you had gardasil; 4) pap reliably detects early abnormalities in cervical cells; 5) the rates of cervical cancer have been going down for the past 40 years due to advances in early detection, i.e., pap; 6) if this trend continues, which it has no reason not to, gardasil may be totally irrelevant to cervical cancer rates in the population, the disease being rare enough to begin with; 7) but, if unbeknownst to you you already are positive for HPV and get vaccinated with Gardasil, it may actually increase the risk of first abnormal pap; 8) high rates of side effects, of which neuropathic stuff is especially worrisome, has been associated with gardasil; 9) vaccine contamination with HPV DNA has been reported, i.e., it may spread the disease it is purportedly trying to eradicate. I have an advanced degree in biology and have worked in the industry, and there is no way am I or anyone in my family getting this vaccine.

mariskasays:

September 15, 2011 at 11:26 pm

sorry, the smiley wasn’t meant to be there, my punctuation combined in a weird way.

nancyksays:

September 16, 2011 at 2:37 am

Esther is 9 years old. 3 years ago, she was 6, for Pete’s sake! This is absolutely chilling. And then they talk about oversexed advertising… Would you put condoms in her lunchbox at the age of 9???? yuk.

nancyksays:

September 16, 2011 at 2:38 am

@ Melissa: “shortly after I became sexually active” – but I suspect you were not 10 years old

Joycesays:

September 16, 2011 at 5:23 am

We are close to this decision as well. C will be 11 in just a couple of months. Interestingly, we were just at her annual “well visit” two days ago. It was a long appointment and most of it was conversation between C and the doctor – I was basically just there to confirm facts. The doc did review her vaccination status and she needed one thing to be current for school. Thankfully, no mention was made of the HPV vaccine. I feel pretty strongly that this is a conversation that should happen privately between parents and doctors before talking to the kids. Betsy, I think that doc put you in an unnecessarily awkward situation. I’m curious now whether my pediatric practice has a policy about this or if that was just the preference of the doc we saw that night. Hmmmm. I think we will ask that she have the vaccine at some point – but that point is not now. This is a good reminder to check with our ped practice about their policy.

On a related note, one of my favorite things about our pediatricians is that they really listen to the kids. Part of every appointment is some personal conversation. As the kids get older, there is more of that. When our oldest was about 10, our primary doctor said to me “I am your son’s doctor, I need to have a relationship with him and I want it to be something he trusts as he gets older – he needs to be able to tell me things he might not want to tell you.” When we have appointments now, I just sit in the room and the interaction is primarily between my kids (the older one 10 and 13) and the doctor. Now that my son is 13, when he goes to the doctor I’m not in the room the whole time and I am so happy to have a doctor who I trust completely and who my son does as well – not just because he’s the doctor but because they have a relationship. Perhaps the HPV conversation didn’t come up the other night because that’s the practice policy, but perhaps it didn’t come up because our doctor knows my girl and knows this is not yet the time for her. I am very fortunate to have had the same doctors for all of my kids and for the whole time I’ve had kids. This is a busy big city practice with all of the time and managed care pressures that suggests and still they find time to really know and care for their patients. I’m a lucky mom to have them.

Megglessays:

September 16, 2011 at 5:23 am

That doctor’s comment “before she starts dating” would have really, really upset me, especially *in front of* my daughter. I know it’s normal for teenagers to be constantly thinking about hopping in the sack, but not every teenager does actually does it. I didn’t have sex until I was married, and neither did my husband. Waiting until marriage can be done–it’s not impossible. I plan on both of my girls getting the vaccine. While my husband and I will encourage them to wait until marriage, maybe they won’t. If they’re of age and living away from home, I certainly can’t stop them. What bothers me today is that there’s this assumption that *every single teen* is going to have sex at 13. If everyone not just assumes, but *expects* 13-year-olds to have sex, why would they abstain? I knew what my parents expected of me, and that certainly kept me from succumbing at age 16 with my boyfriend. And I had many, many opportunities.

Hot Topic

Royal baby fever is back! With less than a month to go until Kate’s due date – rumor has it that April 25 is the big day – everyone’s talking about the royal baby on the way. Who will be in the delivery room? What names are at the top of Kate and William’s list?… Read more »